FREDERICKTOWN, MO - The senior pastor of Calvary Temple Church in Fredericktown, MO is facing charges of third degree assault and stalking.

The Daily Journal reports 69-year-old Carl M. Cureton was charged Wednesday with the two class A misdemeanors.

Cureton told the Journal he plans to continue serving as senior pastor.

According to a probable cause statement, the alleged victim told police she had been harassed for years, grabbed and kissed on the mouth by Cureton without her consent.

The victim reportedly told police she had not reported the incident due to the "backlash" it would cause because of Cureton's position in the community.

According to court documents, the victim said over the past two years the suspect came into her place of employment several times, watched her and asked her to walk around with him.

He would then allegedly grab her hand and rub her palm. She told police he talked to her about attending church and God, then made inappropriate statements.

The statement went on to read that during a recent incident he entered the “employee only” area where she was located and began rubbing her shoulders, leaned down, put his arms around her and hugged her. She said she jumped up and Cureton allegedly asked her if she was mad, to which she replied she didn't appreciate his rudeness. He then reportedly grabbed her and kissed her on the mouth.

I don't consider stalkers who enter employee only areas to fondle a women as harmless. I, too, grew up in a time when women did not report harassment and stalking. That didn't happen to "good girls". In my youth in the 60's in small town mid America, denial was bliss. I heard stories and rumors of dirty old men who preyed on the young people, male and female. No one I knew of slapped a preacher or teacher or coach or doctor or lawyer or indian chief because of unwanted advances. I would hear of young women who definitely discouraged bad behavior, but generaly within their peer group. When it comes to a person of some standing in a community,that person's word trumps the accusations of young women.

Mark i: the reason I have a bit of a snicker attitude is because I grew up in a different time and place. Non threatening "dirty old men" were usually handled with a slap in the face, or a confrontation or when something inapropriate was said a good put down usually shut them up. I guess this guy knew how to pick a vulnerable one that was more of a lady than I was. I really do have a problem when it is a pastor, I guess he figured God was busy and not watching.

And this guy is any different? He's even keeping his senior position at his church and his congregation hasn't come forward to oust him permanently, suspend him during an investigation or support his innocence. Wonder how many others he has molested? Has he moved from church to church when his hobby becomes too public? Denominaton makes no difference. Catholic priests have no different rate of sexual molestation than clergy in other churches or even males as a group.

He's more than a dirty old man. If found guilty, he is a criminal. He allegedly stalked and fondled a person against her will. It doesn't matter if she knows him or whether she is an adult or minor---he is crninally wrong. I would expect that if some one alleged a Catholic priest of stalking and molesting, there would be a huge outcry, not this snickering seen here.